greek theatre
...nstructed (the surviving stone dates from not long before 300B.C.). An audience number of 14,000 has become canonical; but it might have been possible to cram something more like 20,000. There is some evidence of actors putting up temporary wooden stages. A few permanent theatres, outside attica, go back to the 5th century, most notably Syracuse and Corinth, and during the next century more and more cities built one (Taplin, 18). In Greek theatre it was well known for their style in costuming. There costumes were splendid, they would wear role-markers, such as sceptres, garlands, oriental trousers, or mourning black, the standard outfit for there the main characters was elaborately ornamented. During the performances actors would wear masks to portray different characters or enabled him to become a different person, even a god. Whether these masks were derived from primeval cults of Dionysus, or were invented for the theatre, the players, actors and chorus alike, in tragedy and satyr play and comedy, all wore whole-headed masks, probably made with stiffened linen. Each role had a different mask, but not necessarily a different actor. At first there was allegedly only one actor, but by the time of the earliest surviving tragedy there are two, and before the death of Aeschylus, three. The number stuck at three (for comedy also), sharing all the parts between them (Taplin, 17). The musicians and the chorus were also finely dressed. The hallmark of the comic mask, male and female was that it was ugly- all its features were distorted from the ideals, which were typical of the tragic mask. The body was uglified as well: actors wore gross padding in front and behind and male actors wore large dangling phallus made of leather (Taplin, 33). In fifth century Athens the playwrights, often known as teachers, were directors, composers, and trainers as well as writers. They were the chief celebrities if the spectacular success of the new art form. But as time went on, the actors also attracted more and more attention, and from 449 b.c. there was a separate actors competition and prize. They were famed above all for the quality and curiosity of their voices, but clearly the techniques of body language. The individual who judged plays were individuals whose favor could often be swayed by audience response. As stated before the audience was moderately large. If people disliked what was being presented to them they might interrupt it by mocking the actors or throwing food. The people might also beat the wooden or stone benches with their hands. With this embarrassing possibility at stake, playwrights might ...